A simple salad that’s greater than the sum of its parts. The sweetness of mid-summer sweetcorn is amped up with an orange miso dressing, balanced with a generous quantity of dark leafy greens.
A very belated Happy New Year to you all. It's high summer here in New Zealand and I've been on a mission to wring every last drop of summer holiday magic out of it. After WAY too much time spent at home in 2021, it's been truly glorious to spend so much time in the great outdoors with my kids, who are growing up way too fast. We've been hiking in New Zealand's spectacular native bush, discovering caves and creeks, new beaches, and swimming in the warm sea until our toes wrinkle.
What I haven't been doing, is spending much time in the kitchen or in front of a computer, and it's done wonders for creating a bit of brain space. However the stack of cookbooks I was given for Christmas, and incredible seasonal produce, are starting to call my name so I'm optimistic my cooking mojo might be on its way back.
Pick of the crop - summer sweetcorn
Stacks of sweetcorn piled outside greengrocers and at the supermarket are ubiquitous right now. Heck people are even selling it on the side of the road in some areas! It's inexpensive, bursting with sweetness and hard to pass by.
My girls are perfectly happy with a steamed cob, ready to eat with their hands and nibble off the kernels row by row. That's a summer memory burned into the psyche of every New Zealand kid. Is it the same where you are?
I like sweetcorn that way too, but I'm also all for keeping my hands clean and making the most of peak season sweetcorn by using it as a salad ingredient.
Why you should make this salad
There are so many reasons to make this kale salad! Top of the list, it's delicious, healthy and only uses a handful of ingredients (keep this one in mind when your veges are running low). Also...
- It's quick to make, with only a few minutes of actual cooking required. Perfect for a hot summer day.
- If it's not summer where you are, you can totally get away with using frozen sweetcorn kernels.
- The orange miso dressing is amazeballs. Seriously, I could drink the stuff.
- The salad is best fresh, but will keep for a few days in the fridge. Delicious leftovers = happy life.
Try serving this sweetcorn and kale salad with
Get the recipe
INGREDIENTS
For the salad:
- 200 g curly kale
- 2 corn cobs husked
- 2 spring onions finely sliced
- 2 tablespoon sesame seeds
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup orange juice freshly squeezed
- 2 teaspoon white miso paste
- 2 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup or sweetener of your choice
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Pinch chilli flakes optional, or add more
INSTRUCTIONS
- Toast sesame seeds in a dry frypan over medium heat, for a few minutes until golden brown. Tip onto a plate to cool.
- Simmer corn cobs for 5 minutes in salted water. Drain and refresh under cold water. Cut kernels from the cob using a sharp knife.
- Put dressing ingredients into a small jar or sealed container, shake to combine. Tip half of the dressing over the kale, then get in there with your hands and give it a good massage for a few minutes. The kale will soften and shrink a bit.
- Add corn kernels, spring onion, sesame seeds and remaining dressing to the bowl of kale. Toss to combine. Taste a leaf and add a pinch or two of salt to the bowl if needed, toss again, then serve.
RECIPE NOTES
- Two cobs of corn can be substituted with 1 ½ cups of frozen corn kernels. Simmer for five minutes, refresh under cold water, and continue with the recipe.
- Nutrition information is estimate based on six servings.
- Recipe first published in the Summer 2022 issue of Nourish Magazine.
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